TheHighPost,Volume91,Issue7 by Jimmy Singer

The High Post A Publication of Greater Latrobe Senior High School

Febuary 2014

highpostonline.com

Volume 91; Issue 7

Stuck in *Winter* Wrestling Team Leaving Their Mark

2014 Olympics

Meet M.C.

Bomb Threat Extinguished Pursuing A Technical Career

2• News

The High Post

Greater Latrobe Senior High School 131 High School Road Latrobe PA 15650

Febuary 2014 Volume 91, Issue 7 Editors-in-Chief

The High Post

Waking Up to Snow Delays and Cancellations: A Student’s Dream

Katie Stallings Maria Yokopenic Editorial Board Connor Belak, Julianne Rosa, Jake Stallings, Anna Ayers Staff Vincent Bonar, Emily Daily, Lain Fisher, Erika Kellerman, Matt Kalning, Anja Lenhart, Olivia Marcanio, Ryan Mattioli, Kayla Murphy, Frances Piper, Korben Repko Johnny Saunders, Brett Vallorani, Sarah Weise Advisors Mrs. Renee Stallings Miss. Emily Rosati, Student Teacher Administration Mr. LoCascio Mr. Ingel Mr. Shivetts

Printed by the Latrobe Bulletin Editorial Policy The staff of The High Post is committed to serving the student body of Greater Latrobe Senior High School. The opinions articles contain the ideas and views of individuals and do not represent the views of the staff, the advisors, or administration in its entirety. The High Post is a public forum for student expression; therefore, any student who wishes to create dialogue concerning an issue may do so by submitting articles or letters to editors in C109. In order to uphold the integrity of the publication, The High Post reserves the right to edit the submissions for grammar, style, and available space. Submissions should not exceed 300 words. Cover Photo by Ryan Mattioli

Snow blankets White School Road in Unity Township. Several inches of snow resulted in a winter wonderland across the district. Due to the polar vortex classes were cancelled and a delay was called the following day. Connor Belak, Editor

“The Greater Latrobe School District is closed Tuesday, January 28, due to extreme cold. Classes will resume as scheduled tomorrow.” Every household received this message on Monday, January 27, in the evening, courtesy of the district’s Global Connect. Global Connect was implemented several years ago to make parents and guardians aware of delays, closings, and other important events. The district cancelled classes due to the extreme cold with wind chills around thirty below. “Delaying due to the cold allows the buses to warm up and get started easier. It also allows for a several degree warm up,” said transportation and athletic director Mr. Mark Mears. Other times cancelling classes or athletic events is not so easy, especially regarding snow, ice, or a wintry mix. “Traveling in the snow is sometimes doable, especially

with buses being able to travel in about a couple inches of snow. Traveling in freezing rain or sleet is not possible. It’s too treacherous,” said Mears. On inclement weather days, including snow, ice, or flooding conditions, Mears, travels designated inclement weather routes that are representative of some of the critical areas for safe school bus travel throughout the district. “I travel a 29 mile route throughout the district between 3:30 and 4:30 am. I observe the road conditions to see if it is safe for buses and three hundred students to drive to school,” added Mears. During the inclement weather routes, Mears communicates with the Unity Township road department, PennDot, and surrounding districts’ transportation directors as to the conditions in the neighboring areas. “Latrobe is a unique district. We have the City of Latrobe, the Crabtree-Mountain View area, the whole way

to Baggaley and Youngstown Ridge. The conditions can be drastically different throughout the district,” said Mears. After reviewing local information and the local weather radar, Mears contacts the superintendent to recommend changes in school status by around 4:50 am. Final determination is normally made prior to 5:30 a.m. with media notifications occurring prior to 6 a.m. Depending on specific weather situations, the timeline may be earlier or later. “Safety is always first when considering a delay or closing. The school calendar is never a factor when considering a cancellation,” added Mears. Canceling all after school activities is another possibility due to inclement weather, including rehearsals, practices, and games. “Sometimes the storm will not start until later evening, so teams can practice up until around 6 pm. Other times when the storm starts during the day, all activities must be cancelled for the safety of the students,” said Mears. When GLSD is closed, athletic games are still a possibility, depending on the exact situation. “A decision on athletic events is made by around noon on days when school is closed,” said Mears. The models are all in general guidance of a cold end to January and frigid start to February with about average precipitation. The cold air will be in place, with another polar vortex striking the region, resulting in precipitation falling as snow. “February looks snowy,” added Mears. The bigger snowstorms over the past several years have arrived in February and March. Let’s see where the rest of this winter takes us.

The Process of Calling a Snow Delay or Cancelation 3:00 a.m.

1. Severe inclement weather and poor road conditions are present (usually attributed to snow or ice). 2. Mark Mears speaks with road supervisors, and neighboring districts transportation directors. 3. Local forecasts and on-line Doppler radar reports are studied. 4. All information (1-3) is shared with superintendent.

5. If conditions are unsafe and show no sign of subsiding – School is cancelled. 6. If conditions show possible signs of subsiding – GLSD is operating on a 2 hour delay.

5:30 a.m.

7. “Global Connect” recorded telephone announcement enabled, announcing cancellation or delay. If delay, go to #8.

8. Weather, forecast and road conditions further assessed. 9. If conditions have subsided or will soon subside – bus routes resume on 2-hour-delay schedule. 10.If conditions do not subside – busing and school is canceled – 2nd “Global Connect” announcement enabled, declaring cancellation.

This Winter

2-hour-delays: 4 3-hour-delays: 0 Cancelations: 5 Snowfall: 49.1”

Last Winter

2-hour-delays: 3 3-hour-delays: 0 Cancelations: 3 Snowfall: 55.7”

The High Post

News •3

Work Study: Opportunities Opened to Students Lain Fisher, Reporter Greater Latrobe Senior High offers a work-study/release program in which students are able to spend half of their day filling out their credit requirements to graduate and the other half making a smooth transition into adulthood by going to a job. However, with a great program comes great responsibilities. The program is open to only seniors who would like to be released after a set number of periods (no less than four) each day to go to their workplace. The program is run by the student’s guidance counselor, and contains guidelines to ensure the student is participating in the correct manner. In order to be approved for work study, the student must have all graduation requirements, which include 25 approved credits, by the end of their senior year. Justin Bohon agrees that it was a great choice that will prepare him for what the future holds. Bohon said, “I chose work study because I only need two credits to graduate and decided instead of taking all electives, to go out and make money for college.” The student’s involvement in the program can be terminated at anytime, which is justifiable by guidance or administration. Some reasons include: Attendance for school, disciplinary actions taken in school, academic concerns, and/or disruptions in the community during

school hours. If at anytime the student’s counselor reevaluates their involvement in the program, a recommendation for continuing in the program, or a withdrawal decision will be made if the reevaluation calls for it. Seniors at Greater Latrobe find the work release program very beneficial. Justin Bohon leaves school daily at 10:00 A.M, which provides him the opportunity to work at Wendy’s, between 50-60 hours every two weeks “I go into school, then I go straight to work and get my hours in for the day and still have time for homework and free time,” said Justin Bohon. The program opens up time in students’ days to prepare them for the real world and to transition them into adulthood. “I would have to say my job is a stepping stone to my future. As fast food is a typical teenage job, it teaches you many critical skills you may need to use in your future. For example, time management, customer service, and reliability, etc,” said Bohon. Debi Martin, working two jobs at both Wendy’s and Long John Silvers, feels like it is important for her to learn what being out of highschool will feel like. “Work study just helps to keep me on my feet and makes me feel like I have some kind of responsibility in life before I enter the real world out of high

school,” said Martin. In addition to being a transition from high school to work force, it also provides the students with the opportunity to work the necessary hours and make their own money. “We have seen more students wanting to do work study because the economy is bad and they need the money for themselves and some to help out their families,” said Ms.Hager, guidance counselor. Most students agree that saving their money for the future seems like the best way to go. “I try to save money up to go to college but end up paying for bills like my car and phone,” said Martin. Not all work study participants are saving every dollar they make for college and to pay off bills. Miranda Myers takes a more light-hearted approach to spending the cash they earn by spending it on having fun and being a teenager. “I pay off my bills and usually just end up blowing the rest on food,” said Myers, who currently works at the Eat n Park in Latrobe. The work release program is beneficial to be involved in if you like to learn important skills and learn about yourself. “Before I started working there in August of 2013 I thought working with the public was scary and I didn’t know what to say. Now that I have been trained, I feel very comfortable

working with the public and strive to make sure my customers are happy and their orders are accurate,” said Bohon. With the incidental perk of leaving school earlier than most of the student body, seniors agree that the program teaches you definite responsibility to keep up with not only your physical job, but also school work. It teaches students how to balance the priorities in their life, a true future tool that will always come in handy.

Work Study Guidelines 1. The job must involve the student being placed on the business’ payroll. 2. The employer must guarantee employment for the full semester/year. 3. The student must attend school for no less than four periods per day and schedule no less than three credits. 4.The work must occur during school hours no less than four days of the school week, Monday through Friday.

GLPIEF Donates New Gator

Connor Belak, Editor Greater Latrobe Partners in Eduacation Foundation donated a new Wildcat Gator to the Greater Latrobe School District. Michael J. Rossi, GLPIEF vice - president, presented the customized John Deere vehicle to Elizabeth Christopher, student team trainer (football); Ava Petroskey, Wildcat Mascot; Principal Steven Locasio; and athletic director Mark Mears in the Greater Latrobe Senior High School Commons Area. The Wildcat gator was 100% donated to GLPIEF by the following businesses: West Central Equipment, Youngs Autobody, Signs by Tomorrow, and PPG. It will be used at the new Athletic/Wellness Complex. The complex is almost completed. It will help maintain the new field surfaces, carry equipment, and support team trainers and managers.

Bots IQ Team Ready For Competition Next Month

Emily Daily, Reporter Since the 1990s, battlebots competitions have been widely popular. Battlebot competitions require competitors to build a remote control robot with the capability to destroy the opponent’s bot. Latrobe’s tech school, EWCTC, went to Nationals with the bot they created last year. In today’s world these competitions focus on the science and engineering behind building the intracuit robots. This new program is called Bots IQ. The high school students must design and build a robot that is

less than 15 pounds. With these bots, the students attack an opponent bot trying to stop it from running or dismantle it. Local industries partner with schools in their area to help them make their ideas come to life. L&S Machines is the business that is assisting the Greater Latrobe students. As students provide drawings of their ideas, L&S works with them to adjust the blueprints to make them workable. After a design is agreed upon the industry will machine the parts needed to create the bot. Once all of the parts are made the students have

to assemble the bot, and they are also responsible for all of the wiring. Along with bringing the idea of the bot to life the students must keep a log of the entire process. They must have blueprints, 3D sketches, and drawings for the wiring. Greater Latrobe has two teams this year. There is a team solely composed of seniors and also a team of juniors and sophomores. Mr. Brandt, the astronomy teacher and Mr. Glamp the CAD teacher at Latrobe, teach the students about the science and engineer-

ing required to build a battlebot. According to Brandt the Bots IQ program is a good way to get students thinking. “Students have to use their creativity to build a robot that must be designed using engineering and physics knowledge. They must then create a remote control bot that will be abused and broke, and needs to be troubleshooted to be ready for the next fight,” said Brandt. Maddie Wilson is a part of the senior team this year. She has been a part of Bots IQ for 3 years. Things are going well

for the Latrobe teams. “We just sent out our drawings last week. We are now starting on the documentation,” said Wilson. Clearly, it takes a lot of thinking and preparation to be ready for the competitions. Bots IQ is great for students who like to make their ideas come to life off of paper, and for those who like to think through difficult problems. Watching robots beat each other up is also a plus. The competitions begin in March with preliminary rounds. Finals will be held in April.

4• News

The High Post

Poet Laureate James Ragan Gives Advice to English Classes

Poet Laureate James Ragan came earlier this month to speak to Academic English classes and inspire them to “always say yes to opportunities.”

Vince Bonar, Reporter “Everyone is a poet, yes, life is art,” said James Ragan, as he inspired language arts and journalism students at Greater Latrobe High School. The students who were immersed in words and poetry listened to his experience with great appreciation. Ragan’s humble experience brought him to be the influential person he is today. Born of 13 kids is now an artist, professor, musician and most famously a poet. Ragan lived in Eastern European countries for several years during the times of the Soviet influence. The man of many trades shared an autobiography of his life, filled with stories of his passion in his various exploits. He shared insight

and advice on being a worldly citizen and how to become one. Also, Ragan explained how he applies his insight and experience into his artwork, music, and poetry. Ragan detailed the world we live in and the steps we should take to change it. Worldly citizens try to do this everyday. Ragan’s solution is to first take advantage of our opportunities presented to us in our day to day lives. “‘Yes’ is the catalyst of your life,” said Ragan. He said that the only way to make it in the world is to say yes, because that one small word can make all the difference, taking you to you places you would never even imagine. Ragan has experienced opportunity. He has written and

Olivia Marcanio, Reporter

need to apply to get the financial aid by saying that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. There are so many opportunities and they’re yours for the taking. People who are under the impression that they can’t afford to go to college can really benefit from the many aid options. He reassured the attendees that these scholarships can really help their child go to a great school. Fastweb.com is a free scholarship website for students applying to college. These scholarships range from being a certain ethnicity to making an educa-

recited poetry in front of huge crowds, in front of the communist Politburo in the 1980s protesting their harmful actions, and alongside the famous Bob Dylan. Ragan used his talent with empowering words in plays, screenplays, and movies. “The Godfather” was a notable movie that is repertoire. He is friends with Jack Nickolson. He has letters from Goldie Hahn. Meeting a person with such unique experiences and as dynamic presence as James Ragan, people tend to listen. Ragan spoke with several English classes as well as the Multimedia Journalism class. He stated that he draws inspiration from his surroundings, making insight from situations, and then putting the thoughts into a beautiful artwork of poetry. Ragan, a very profound individual, inspired the students with his story, poetry, and words of wisdom. Students such as Cheyanne Lesko. Cheyanne is a Junior and in Mrs. Stallings’ English class. Lesko said that “James Ragan really puts himself into his work, he showed me that if I put my mind to something, I can do it.” James Ragan has made a difference in the world using his words and actions. From protesting in Czechoslovakia, to writing inspiring poetry, and to simply sharing his knowledge with us in the classroom. Inspiration like Ragan’s causes a ripple, its starts in one place, but spreads to many others. Drawing inspiration from Ragan, and by expanding our own mind, we can make this a better world.

Financial Information Made Available

“Apply sooner, because time can be a restriction,” said Gary Means, who came to speak on behalf of Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to elaborate on scholarship and loan opportunities for seniors and their parents on January 14, at the financial aid meeting in the high school auditorium. PHEAA is a national student financial aid assistance program, and also one of the leading student financial aid services available. Means reinforced that you

tional video, or having interest in becoming a beekeeper. Being active for Alzheimer’s awareness will get you some help as well as those that can make a mean duck call. Getting scholarships can change your life, the only thing you have to do is find them- make a move. Whether you’ve got a specific name or have a love for aquatic animals.

Check out the Guidance website for more scholarships! http://glsd.us/page/597

Students Participate in “Legit” Mock Trials

Vince Bonar, Reporter

A mock trial is an act; an imitation of trial. The point is to simulate a real trial and prepare law students for a future in law. At Greater Latrobe High School, in each of Mrs. Olecki-Leeper’s law classes, a full mock trial has been put on. Every student in the class is given a role. The class must be divided into a few groups to assure the mock court functions to the near efficiency of an actual court. Sign ups for positions were accepted but were not the only means of determining the roles. The first group is the jury. It is the largest group, typically with 10 or more students. The jury, just like in a real court determines the outcome of the case. Although no presentation of the evidence is done by the jury, these students play a crucial role in the trial. To decide the ruling of the case, together, the jury reviews the testimony from several witnesses and the arguments presented by both of the opposing sides. There are two sides of every case. The first side, the prosecution, otherwise known as the plaintiff in civil court, like the type of case taking place in Greater Latrobe’s classes. The plaintiff

has the “burden of proof ” meaning they have to prove that the defendant committed the action. The other side is the defense. The defense goes second. Megan Reyes, a member of the defense in mock trial said “The competition between the defense and the plaintiff gets really intense which is a lot of fun.” Their goal isn’t to prove anything. The defense is only trying to prove the plaintiff’s case wrong. A part of each lawyer group, some students are chosen to be witnesses. Testimonies are fabricated for each of the witnesses. It is each witnesses job to memorize the facts of their testimony. Then, the lawyers in the group work with the witnesses, creating questions to ask in court which will strengthen their case. Alex Foster, a witness in Mrs. Olecki-Leeper’s first period law class excitedly stated “The experience was awesome. Being in court, there’s a ton of things that go on that TV shows don’t show you. It was cool to see what really goes on in a court of law and be a part of it.” Mock Trial is a fun, intellectually challenging way to teach law. At end of the day, justice prevails, and there is order in the court.

Hitting The Books Pays Off Olivia Marcanio, Reporter

Fox’s Pizza in Latrobe gives gift certificates to the Greater Latrobe School District honor students. Each distinguished honors, high honors, and honor roll student receives a certificate for five dollars for the pizza shop in Latrobe. In 10th grade, 178 honor roll students received gift certificates, In 11th grade 161 students earned to voucher, and in 12th grade 161 students earned honor roll status. 502 students achieved honor roll or higher, equaling $2,510 given to students who

have worked hard throughout the quarter to earn a GPA of at least 3.0. “They’re a nice reward for hard work,” said Jaden Johnston Cass Hatten, a junior honor roll student, uses them to get her favorite pizza. “They are super convenient because I always get Foxes, I definitely look forward to getting those gift certificates.” “I think they’re great. But I never use them because I don’t live close,” said Marina Shenouda, senior honor student.

The High Post

News • 5

GLSH Community Stays Calm and Carries On Through Bomb Threat Anna Ayers, Editor Life at the Greater Latrobe Junior and Senior High Schools was normal on Friday, January 10, 2014. Math classes broke down logarithmic equations, prepositions were linked to nouns in English classes, and Wildcat athletes and fans looked forward to games. After the school day ended, however, a threat was made against normal life for the entire GLHS community. A bomb threat made against the entire community for a device to go off on Monday January 13, 2014 at noon was found in a junior high bathroom after students had left. Only those who stayed after for extracurricular activities were still on campus. When a threat is found steps are taking to evaluate the threat and determine the severity and immediacy of the situation. In this case, as with any threat, all measures of safety were taken and taken very seriously. “I thought the school took the right actions. I mean what else can they do when something like that happens. They have to make us safe,” said senior Rae Reed. As it states in the District Policy on the Emergency Evacuation of Schools: The district’s system of emergency preparedness shall ensure that the health and safety of students and staff are safeguarded. Both the junior and senior high schools were cleared by 6pm Friday night and were closed all weekend to execute a thorough search. 11 Officers of the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department and several County k-9 Units swept the entire campus. Detection dogs or bomb sniffers are highly trained dogs that primarily use their sense of smell of to

detect explosives. After no explosive device was found on campus a full investigation into finding the culprit of these actions against the GLHS community was launched.

Illustrated by Emily Daily Reporter

Part of that investigation included a search of all students who entered the building on Monday, January 13, 2014. A Global Alert message was issued on Saturday around 4pm to students and parents/guardians about a bag search for all junior high and senior high students prior to entering the school on Monday. That morning teachers and staff members searched student bags and acted as surveillance throughout

The Reasons Why: 13

Julianne Rosa, Editor Jay Asher’s 13 Reasons Why reflects on the emotions, feelings and disadvantages of a teenager’s life in relation to “friends.” In 2011, this book was #1 on New York Times best seller’s list, for it portrayed high school relationship that sometimes go unnoticed. Clay Jensen, a senior, finds a shoebox on his doorstep. He realizes it is full of cassette tapes from Hannah Baker, his friend who just committed suicide. Hannah Baker, a sophomore, decided to end her life with a bottle of pills. The relentless harassment and subtle attacks from her so called “friends” brought her to this decision. Her heart pounding narrative reveals her true feelings about each individual who gave her another reason to end her life. Each tape, leading up to the “13th,” shares a vivid story of how she’s been hurt or let down by people who she built a relationship with, only to be betrayed again and again. She lists her first kiss, two former friends, a stalker or so called “Peeping Tom”, a liar, a goof who takes advantage of her, a hater, a thief who steals her poems, a cheerleader who crashes into a stop sign, a guy she had an unpleasant encounter with, the guidance counselor, and Clay Jensen himself. A rumor triggered an ever growing snowball of insults. As time went on, the snowball grew, as did the lies

the school, as the police overviewed the search and patrolled the main entrances to each building. GLSD was not required to issue a Global Connect call informing students about the search that occurred Monday morning, however, the administration wanted to give fair and advance notice to all of the students whose only connection to the situation was that they were Greater Latrobe students. “We didn’t want to find anything, we hoped more for the search to discourage the threat not make it worse,” said Mr. Shivetts, Greater Latrobe Senior High Assistant Principal. The investigation surrounding the threat has since been fully turned over to the police. The threat itself has been sent to a FBI crime lab that analyzes handwriting and other investigative techniques have been implemented to try to make an identification. At this time more information cannot be released pending a verdict in the case, however, the full extent of the law will be served justly and the district will also potentially take action if the culprit is caught. While this threat was both daunting and infuriating, the GLHS community remained collected in its conduct by all throughout the event. “This event was unfair to many and inconvenienced a lot of people, but it opened everyone’s eyes to what the real world can be like, and I think everyone handled it exactly the way it needed to be handled,” said Mr. Ingel, Greater Latrobe Senior High Assistant Principal. Life at the Greater Latrobe Junior and Senior High Schools seemed as normal as it ever is by Friday, January 17, 2014, although faced with a bit more reality.

that came with it. The recipients of the tapes thought their actions were harmless, but after listening to Hannah tell her story, they realized they were wrong. Little did they all know that her life would come to an end, and they had everything to do with it. This book touches on sensitive subjects, such as suicide. No one really knows what’s happening in another person’s life, and when their breaking point might be. Depression, loneliness and lack of hope reveal the reasons why suicide may occur. Hannah Baker, contemplated suicide near the end, when her snowball of insults became too large to handle. Many other students in today’s society could be feeling the same way. We need to realize that the smallest things can hurt people in the biggest ways. Clay Jensen, the second main character, brought optimism near the end of the book. In the beginning he didn’t completely see Hannah’s signs of depression. When his long lost friend Skye comes into his life, he notices her signs of depression. Clay is reminiscing back to the time when he saw Skye on the bus right before he got off to finish listening to the taps in the Coffee shop. Having that he hadn’t seen Skye since, he finally sees her in the hallway after Hannah’s incident. While Skye slowly walks by, Clay is proactive and talks to her. He did not let her walk away as he let Hannah “slip right through his fingers”.

Sports• 6

The High Post

Player Profile: Matt Cullen Q: You have been around the game of basketball all of your life, what keeps you motivated to play? A: Winning games with my team and seeing all the hard work really payoff. Q: Being successful in basketball isn’t easy, how do you keep improving as an individual? A: Working hard on my own game as an individual so I can do the best to help us win games.

Matt Cullen Junior

Guard # 23 Height: 6’ 1”

Q: You have grown up all around basketball, is their one player/person that you have admired? A: Kevin Durant (Forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder) and Michael Jordan (Member of the Hall of fame, 6 time champion)

Q: Knowing you have been so successful already, what is your number one goal for the future? A: To win a section title with Latrobe.

Q; Success doesn’t come easy, what’s one obstacle you have faced in your life? A: Hempfield. I have never beaten them before, and that will change. Q: You have played basketball all of your life, what is your biggest individual accomplishment you have achieved? A: I hit a game winning 3 pointer at the buzzer in the third grade, it was pretty cool. Q: Hard work pays off, but what’s one part of your game that could improve? A: Playing offense off the ball.

Q: Being a young team this year, what is the most important thing the team has to do on and off the court? A: We have to be confident as a team and trust each other.

Q: Being a returning starter, what do you have to do as a player to help improve the team to be successful and return to the playoffs? A: I need to lead the team and give 110% all the time, practices and games. Q: With all the years and success you have had, do you have any superstitions that you use? A: Always drink Gatorade, not water. Brett Vallorani, Reporter

NFL/College Coaching Carousel Swings Around

The National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association football coaching carousel is operating at full throttle, with many coaches being fired and being replaced. Most of the hottest coaching commodities have already been claimed. Once playoff berths were determined, seven NFL head coaching jobs were up for grabs, and Bill O’Brien, the Penn State head coach, was the biggest catch. O’Brien’s experience as quarterback coach and offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick in New England and his refurbishment of the program left in shambles at Penn State made him first choice. O’Brien decided to sign with the Houston Texans, leaving the acclaimed Nittany Lions head position for the lucrative business of the NFL. With O’Brien out of the hunt it was just first down and six to go with many big names hoping to fill the vacancies. Lovie Smith, the beloved Chicago Bears head coach from 2004 through 2012, was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers hired Smith despite his several year absence from the league and the rocky ending to his time in Chicago, after starting 7-1 Smith’s 2012 Bears did not make the playoffs, which lead to Smith’s firing. Second down, five to go. Jay Gruden was quickly picked up by the ailing Washington Redskins. Gruden, from 2002 to 2008, served as an offensive assistant for the Buccaneers, and under his brother, head coach Jon Gruden, earned a Super Bowl ring. Gruden left the team after his brother was fired following the 2008 season and in 2011 was hired by the Cincinnati Bengals as offensive coordina-

tor. Third down, four to go. By the second week of January, playoff upsets sent many teams home early, while many more coaches were made eligible for contention. The Detroit Lions hired Jim Caldwell as head coach, after Caldwell’s two year term as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 through 2011 and offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens from 2012 to 2013. Despite his success with the Ravens, Caldwell’s last year as a head coach in the league did not fare well as the 2011 Colts went 2-14 and had the worst record and offense in the league. Fourth down, three to go. The Tennessee Titans hired San Diego’s Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. After a surprise playoff run made by the Chargers, ending in defeat against the Denver Broncos, Whisenhunt was once again highly sought after for his offensive prowess. Whisenhunt has already proven he can win the big games, he was offensive coordinator of the 2005 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Titans have never hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, even when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers. Flag down, delay of game. Replay fourth down, two to go. With just two more jobs needing to be filled, the Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns still have high hopes for what that the offseason has to bring. Seattle Seahawks Defensive Coordinator, Dan Quinn, is biggest commodity in NFL now for head coaching jobs around league.

Final. Next game: Saturday, where the drama of collegiate football debuts. As of January 1, 2014, over 20 head coaching changes were made in Division I College football. James Franklin, Vanderbilt head coach for three years, was hired by Penn State. Franklin is the ideal choice for the Nittany Lions from a strictly football standpoint, but Penn State has lived in disgrace for some time because of the events regarding Jerry Sandusky and the university, and bringing in a coach who had four players charged with rape in 2013 has caused some to question the decision. Alabama hired Lane Kiffen as new offensive coordinator, Kiffen spent three-plus seasons as USC head coach, but was released in September 2013 after a highly publicized and tumultuous start to the ‘13 -14 season. While many would argue that the Crimson Tide hardly need a major coaching change due to their abundant success, they are 36-4 in the last three seasons and have won three of the last six national championships, Kiffen is highly regarded for his creativity and energy as a coach and is expected to make quite the pairing with famed Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The list of names is long, but it is the level of accomplishment each of these coaches has achieved that sets any one of them apart from the rest. One thing is for sure though, a new face will be seen wearing the headset and calling the action for many teams in both the NFL and college football next year on Saturday and Sunday and that always makes the ride a little more interesting. Anna Ayers, Editor

The High Post

Sports •7

2014 Olympics Lights up Sochi, Russia Do We Remember? Olympics

Anna Ayers, Reporter Do we remember the terrorism at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where the Palestinian Group Black September kidnapped members of the Israeli Olympic team? Remember the eleven athletes and coaches killed during the rescue operations as well as five members of Black September? Remember the 1996 Olympic bombing in Atlanta that resulted in one death and over 100 injuries? Many Americans and other citizens around the world do remember, so boycotting the Olympic Games this year in Sochi, Russia seems like the obvious thing to do. The recent bombing in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, that killed 14 people just a day after a blast at Volgograd’s main train station killed 17 people and wounded at least 35, has caused apprehension about the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Perhaps our memories are automatically inclined to remember the worst and darkest moments in Olympic history. Instead we should hope that the Olympic Games in give the world great moments to remember forever, as so many Games in the past have done. Remember the countless times American athletes made millions of spectators proud to be a part of something greater, something we can all embrace together? Remember how the Olympic Games has rejuvenated the American spirit more successfully than any other event in history? When apprehension seeps in concerning the justification of sending athletes to Sochi remember Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals, 18 golds. Phelps enthralled the world as he dominated his competition in the water and dazzled us with his personality on land. Remember the 1980 US men’s hockey team and the miracle on ice that ignited a fire for Americans, and helped quench the animosity of the Cold War. Remember Mary Lou Retton, the sixteen year old from West Virginia, who earned the nations’ endearment after undergoing a knee operation five weeks prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics. She recovered just in time for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and was engaged in a close battle for the all-around gold medal, which she would win and be the first American woman to do so. Remember the 1936 Berlin Games. In some cases intended to be a showcase of the superiority of the Aryan race. Remember how American Jesse Owens had other ideas. The son of an Alabama sharecropper and the grandson of a slave, Owens won four gold medals in Berlin, discrediting Hitler’s plans with every stride. Remember the athletes, their stories, the triumphs and their struggles. Remember how they made us feel. Never forget the tragic events that have unfortunately happened at past Olympics, but also see that without the Olympics, the United States and the world would have missed out on so many great moments that will be engrained in our memories and our history forever.

88 countries Olympics

will be in the

2014 Sochi

Captain of the Bruins Zdeno Chara led the

Slovokian team holding their flag.

USA won gold in slopeMeryl Davis and style snowboarding for both mens, Sage Kostenburg with Charlie White 93.50 and ladies, Jamie Anderhad a record breaking son with 95.25. score of 114.34

Slopestyle, a downhill freestyle kind of snowboard,

for U.S. in figure

skating which led to the team to earning a

bronze medal.

is a new event this year.

Downhill skiers can go as fast as

Cross-country skiers can reach up to

miles per hour. miles per hour.

Official Mascots of the games are a hare a polar bear and a leopard

The 2014 Sochi Olympics are approaching and there are so many sports and events to watch. What are you looking forward to seeing the most? Is there a certain person you will be rooting for? If so, what event/sport?

“I will be looking forward to curling and luge. I will be rooting for South Korea. Also, half-pipe snowboarding looks decent.” Steve Kommer, Sophomore “I am looking forward to watching snowboarding this year during the winter olympics.” Maria Mucci, Junior “I want to watch hockey, especially for Sidney Crosby.” Kendall Bryant, Junior “Womens snowboarding. I want all of them to win because everybody deserves to be a winner.” Johnny Graziano, Sophomore “I’m looking forward to bobsledding. The Jamaican team is who I’m rooting for.” Cody Helfrich, Sophomore “I can’t wait to watch female figure skating.” Garrett Binkey, Junior “Skiing and snowboarding and also figure skating are the events I’m looking forward to seeing this year.” Rachelle Kuhn, Junior

8• Sports

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Hoop Planet

Johnny Saunders, Reporter

Turning The Corner

“They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” said Coach Brad Wetzel. The team was down starting off at 1-4, but they were never out of the fight and they made that point obvious against Norwin in front of their home crowd and they surely didn’t disappoint. The 1-4 season took a twist December 20, the first home game at the Den, against the Norwin Knights. It was the start of something good for the Cats. The students were ready, dressed in their Christmas attire, singing Christmas songs during foul shots, and making noise in order to make it difficult for the opposition. As the students were ready the rest of the fans from Latrobe packed the gym for the first home game. The noisy atmosphere continued from the opening tip to the final horn, which gave the Cats a bit of an edge with the “home court advantage”. Wetzel believes the team’s chemistry contribute to their success. The team is incredibly young, having one senior (P.J. Self ), but that has kept the team’s bond close on and off the court. They can trust each other. Being selfless, they have confidence to pass the ball to any teammate. They have a brotherhood. The chemistry and that first home game has all sparked the success for the Cats six game winning streak that lasted for nearly four weeks. The streak began against Norwin and the win gave the Cats first section win of the 2013-2014 season. With one practice in between, the Cats scorched the point column with their highest point total since the first game (80 points) the following Monday beating Laurel Highlands in a non-section battle. Following the Christmas holiday, the Cats traveled to Penn Hills to play two basketball games against two Quad-A Section II opponents (McKeesport and then host, Penn Hills). They battled and pulled out two hard fought basketball games winning both games by a combined nine points.

The team won their first game against McKeesport by a late two point basketball by sophomore Craig Stevens with less than 20 seconds left. Less than 24 hours later the Cats took the court and took care of business beating host, Penn Hills by seven. 2014 came around and the new year didn’t change anything. The Cats got their second and third section win against Connellsville and, also youthful, Penn Trafford. Penn Trafford was the Cats first win

top tier team from the section, second place Kiski Area. The Cavs had two scorers who combined for 43 of their 62 points. Mike Simmons had 21 and Joe Brungo had 22 (11 points from the free throw line). The Cavs, overall, shot 72% from the free throw line. The Cats got edged once again 62-57. “They (the team) faced challenges, but they couldn’t just turn it around without hard work. The problems didn’t kill them and they all stuck together, they worked together to fix their mistakes,” Wetzel said. The entire team battled their challenges on each side of the ball and just went back to the basics. After the six game win streak the Wildcats are back in playoff contention and are still battling to secure a bid to familiar grounds in the WPIAL playoffs. As January winds down with the back half of the section schedule, the Wildcats look to continue to keep up their winning ways in February. The Cats will try to replicate what they did over Christmas in February and let their play take them to a place where no one gave thought about them being a couple months ago.

“The team’s chemistry is there and everyone on the team puts the team first before themselves.” -Coach Wetzel away against a section opponent. Although their win streak dissolved in January’s third week, the losses came against two of the top teams in the Section. The Cats lost both games by a combined seven points. The team battled first place and undefeated, Hempfield, down to the wire at home. It took a late pair of free throws by Hempfield’s newest one thousand point getter, Kason Harrell, to put the Spartans ahead of the Cats in the final minute and ultimately beating their rival 37-35. Although victorious, the Spartans only managed to have four players scoring (two of four had seven combined points). Harrell also had 22 of the teams 37 points. Three nights later the Cats hosted yet another

For upcoming themes and games give a follow to @GLDen2014 on twitter and for more on the basketball team follow @GLHoopPlantet also on twitter.

Penguins Battle It Out To The Olympics

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been a successful organization for many years. They make a playoff run almost every year and have been one of the midseason contenders for the Stanley Cup multiple years in a row. The Pittsburgh Penguins stand at the top of the Metropolitan Conference with a 39-15-2 record and are still going strong. Pens centerman Evgeni Malkin recently returned from an injury, which is a great boost to the Pens already highpowered offense. The Pens have one of the strongest first lines in the NHL, fea-

turing left wing Chris Kunitz, superstar centerman Sidney Crosby, crazy frenchcanadian defenseman Kris Letang, suresticked defenseman Rob Scuderi, the lefty machine centerman Brian Gibbons and the ice curtain in net Marc-Andre Fleury at goalie. They have all played key roles in leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to success during the 2013-2014 season. Crosby has been a huge factor for the Pens this season, leading the team in many different categories, including points, goals, and assists. But the Pittsburgh star will be wearing different colors going into a 2-3 week break for the

Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Crosby and many other NHL players will hit the ice for team Canada, in their hunt for gold, facing off against fellow powerhouse teams from the US, Russia, Finland, and Norway. As the Olympic break leaves many in the league time to rest before the postseason push, Malkin will skate for Russia, Jussi Jokinen and Olli Maatta for Finland, and Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin for Team USA. The Olympics are a chance for the best of the best perform against each other, and for the bragging rights of gold to go home to one country

for the next four years. The Pens will be well represented in Sochi, and hopefully they all stay healthy so that in three weeks the quest for the Cup can continue…Go Pens!

Ryan Mattioli, Reporter

The High Post

Revolution in Black and White

Nothing in this world is ever black and white. Grey area exists in anything, so why do we narrow the color of people’s skins down to black and white? It has been nearly 200 years since we decided, as a country, we would stop allowing skin color to alter the way people are treated. Skin color is not a choice. Skin color is not a defect. Skin color is not an insult, a way of living, or a weapon; but, we choose to let it affect us like one. We choose to live in a society governed as a “color culture”. Everyone has been born with rights, and those rights should not be determined by one’s race because rights are principles that say what is morally, legally, or ethically proper. The only “colors” we should be conversing about are colors that matter. Colors that give meaning to the real world. The sun, the grass, the sky: these are all things that should be defined by color. We rarely stop to think about the way we define another person based on a physical characteristic, and the way this definition can invoke a stigma about another person. Just a thought: Words are as powerful as weapons,if not more. With a weapon you have limited ammunition, a certain amount of physical matter that can harm a person, and the person may make it out okay and recover from most of the damage. With words, you have an entire language to inflict mental harm on someone. So throwing racial slurs at someone of a different color is unacceptable. You can get over physical pain, but the mental pain you leave somebody with stays, forever. Choose your words wisely, because the world is an unforgiving place sometimes. No matter what race, religion or ethnicity you are remember the most important legacy you can leave behind is being a good person. Don’t ever apologize for the fierce fire burning inside of you, and the lengths you will go in order to protect yourself. Just remember, “You are an exploding light. Everyone better cover their eyes” - slk-tumblr Lain Fisher, Reporter

Opinions • 9

Judgements Can Scar Erika Kellerman, Reporter On January 3rd, 2014,Kesha Rose Serbert admitted herself at Timberline Knolls, a rehab center. Perez Hilton publicly humiliated Kesha from his blog. How do you feel about the public humiliation of a person who is publicly trying to better themselves? “I’m a crusader for being yourself and loving yourself, but I’ve found it hard to practice. I’ll be unavailable for the next 30 days, seeking treatment for my eating disorder . . . to learn to love myself again, exactly as I am.” Are the words of Kesha Rose Serbert, or just Ke$ha. On January 3rd, 2014, Kesha had put herself in a rehabilitation center for an eating disorder. Kesha speaks out for the outcasts, being one herself, who is a great role model. She was bullied for being smart and having a suburban style in a mix of conservative classmates. While her songs talk about living loosely in the fast lane, she promotes individuality and kindness. She has good means behind her songs and albums. “...I have zero tolerance for people making fun of others.” She had once stated in a Seventeen Magazine Interview. She is openly bisexual and is a supporter of the LGBT community. She doesn’t put up with people’s judgemental behavior and hatred, but sometimes words really do hurt and can break the barrier you put up around you. Perez Hilton is an openly gay blogger who also supports the LGBT community. He tried to ruin Kesha’s life, like he has with many other artists, when he shared private pictures on his blog. This wasn’t his first or last offence with breaking an artist’s spirit. When Kesha released that she put herself in rehab he made inexcusable jokes on his blog. Perez is a despicable human being with no sensor. Kesha has been a victim of him for too long. She tries to do something good for herself and instead gets criticized by an arrogant, pretentious, awful person that too many people listen to. Many try to stand up to him and others have filed lawsuits, but for some reason he is always the center of attention. Kesha’s management team has been said to be another one of the reasons why she admitted herself to rehab. “One time on a conference call, Sonenberg [Ke$ha’s former manager] was screaming, ‘You need to lose weight! I don’t care what you do … take drugs, not eat, stick your finger down your throat!’ Ke$ha was just weeping. She drove around afterward thinking about killing herself.” Pebe , Kesha’s mom, said. Sticks and stones is a saying of the past. If you are told that you aren’t good enough often enough, you start to believe it. Sometimes the people closest to you are the ones pulling the trigger on your mental health. Sources close to Kesha also said that they didn’t know how Kesha was alive. Her sodium levels and blood pressure were so low at one point that it wasn’t a wonder if she would have keeled over on stage. To think that people who were supposed to be the support system of a celebrity were the ones who were shutting her down more than the media was. Sometimes you have to be your own hero and take the initiative for a better life. Which was what Kesha was and had done. If anything, she shouldn’t be humiliated for doing something good for herself.

Making your Marc The Mall Rats of Westmoreland Mall

I’ve worked at the mall almost every day for the past four months, in the food court and a retail store, and I’ve found my place in the mall rat pack. Walking through all the back hallways with pipes along the walls and people pushing mysterious carts, indicates that I’ve been admitted into the secret society. Being a member of the mall rat pack comes with privileges and fringe benefits and new friends. Nobody else gets free ice cream, pizza, or coupons for Macy’s, The Limited, and New York and Company. Come five o’clock, all of the night crawlers flood in through the food court to go to their battle stations to brace themselves for the evening rush. The switch-out is when I know I’ll see all of my fellow mall rats. Abby is tending to tables at Panera while Allie makes blizzards across the way. Allie makes a chocolate blizzard with three times the sprinkles, and even a cup of sprinkles on the side. Max is on his way out from the day shift, as he flashes a smile and dangles his keys to his Beamer. I say hello to my comrades as I see everyone selling some overpriced games, guarding their kiosks selling phone cases and land lotion and Pennsylvania wine, after 9 A.M. of course. “Chicken California?” Danny asks, standing in front of Charley’s as he hands me my 50th sample this month. The $1 drink deal in the food court always promises a herd of mall rats seeking some quick energy before shuffling back to fold more shirts, organize more candles, and sell more phones. As I tend to my battle station, I see fellow employees flooding by through the day, and everybody knows you and you know them. Tim from Sears is in line for his 880th career burrito for lunch and he brought his buddies for a quesadilla or two, like most days at the mall. No, we aren’t Walmartians, or Giant Eagles, not even Sweet Frogs- we are the mall rats, and these are my people. Olivia Marcanio, Reporter

Diary of an Adventurer: New Year, New Me We hear and see it everywhere, “New year, new me!” on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but what does it really mean? Every year as the ball drops, we get out a napkin and grab the closest pen and write down things we think we should improve on and change in our lives. Common solutions: to work out more, to eat more healthy, and to spend more time with friends and family; the truth is, it seems like a good idea at the time, but the resolutions end up never making it to the next year. A New Year’s Resolution should be simple yet concrete and something not completely out of reach. Sure, it would be very beneficial to work out more and eat healthier, who wouldn’t want that? So when you’re making a promise to yourself, just remember you will be keeping it for 365 days. I’m was never the type of person to make a New Year’s Resolution, and to be perfectly honest with you, I have always viewed them as another cliche. To me, resolutions were always kind of pointless because no one ends up keeping them anyways, so why waste time even making one? For example, you hear about people who decide their resolution will be “to lose weight and feel better.” They go to the gym and in a couple of weeks they stop going, they’ve had it. The solution is, you start out with small goals and work to the bigger ones. It’s a new year and a good time to try something new. I have decided to make a New Year’s Resolution starting small but realistic. For mine, I have decided to save money because I plan on attending college in the fall and will be paying for it. I’m always spending money: clothes, shoes, bags, cds, food, you name it and I buy it. I couldn’t save money if my life depended on it. I’ve been working since I was thirteen-years-old, so since then I have made a sufficient amount, but where does it all go? Well, what I can tell you is that probably more than half of my paycheck goes to eating out and the other half goes to the mall with me, which simply put, is frivolous spending. Which again, is why I am setting this goal. The blurred line between the comfort of money and the necessity of money is often confused. I told myself to really think about that line the next time I pick something up that I “need” and consider what my money was going towards. Do I really need another bag, a pair of shoes, or jewelry? Why don’t I save that for gas money, car insurance, or bills? I used to spend about thirty to forty dollars a week eating out: McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s. The proof can be found from all of the fast food bags and loose, random change in my car. Whether it’s fast food or fine dining, I realized it’s a waste. If I saved twenty dollars from each paycheck each week, in a year I could have saved around a thousand dollars, which in retrospect is a lot of money. So my New Year’s Resolution is to watch where my money goes and actually be in control of it. I want to stop buying things that I really don’t need and to be honest I have enough clothes, and shoes, and bags, I just want more. It’s been about one month and I am doing better than I had expected. Not only am I saving five times more than my goal, twenty dollars a week, I no longer have the compulsion to spend the way I used to. When I pick something up, I think of where I’ll wear it and how often. When I pass a McDonald’s, I think of how many chicken nuggets I’ve eaten since I was little and think that it would be enough to feed an army. Do I need these things? I absolutely do not need them but at some point I wanted them. At another point I reevaluated myself and my paychecks and thought of the important things I could be doing with them, like saving for college and putting gas in my car. The important thing I remembered the whole time was to start small and then challenge myself. If I had an initial saving goal of one hundred dollars a week, I would have given up. But I went low and raised it when I had control. My point is, when you decide to make a resolution, just make sure it’s what you will want in the long run, and if it is, stick to it. Start small and go big. You should be making goals big enough to be growing into. Decide that today will be the day you will be a better person and always be improving on who you are. You don’t even need to wait until January first. Do it now, because you can. Only you have the power to change what you don’t like about yourself. 1.Get a second tattoo 2. See Greenday live in Pittsburgh 3. Make Industrial Bubbles 4. Try every cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory 5. Throw Paint filled eggs at a canvas

Lain Fisher, Reporter

The High Post

EWCTC:

Ashley Elkobi, Health Occupations

Ashley Elkobi is a Junior at Greater Latrobe who attends the Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center. She has been in Health Occupations since her Sophomore. Ashley says she loves spending her half days at EWCTC with Mrs McCreery. “It’s a big class and the skills we do are fun. There isn’t a lot of book work like there was last year. The girls get along for the most part, we are like one big family.” says Ashley. She took the course because she wants to be a nurse when she graduates in 2015. Right now, the class is getting ready for clinical, in which a group of the girls attend a nursing home for a day to take care of residents. Elkobi wants to be a nurse anesthetist, which is a nurse that specializes in the administration of anesthesia. They usually make more money and the career is more in depth than a regular nurse. They control the anesthesia during surgery. Ashley claims that if you want to partake in this course you have to want to do something in the medical field. Although, she also said that the class is really fun if you want to be a nurse, and it really does help your future career a whole lot. The skills you learn in Health Occupations are the skills you’re going to need to know in the future.

Acoustic Growth:

“I Never Knew You” - The Avett Brothers Reflect on their past, singing alongside a jiving rhythmic background. The song can remind you of the past and how the mistakes you may have made in the past can appear funny now. “Wildfire” - John Mayer This song is all about summer, it has a very happy guitar riff and warm lyrics. To lift your spirits during the winter listen to this song. “Silver and Gold” - Trampled by Turtles In a folky, upbeat way, the artists Trampled by Turtles talk about moving on from past relationships. They advise you to search for a meaningful relationship rather than a monetary one. Happiness is worth much more than silver and gold.

Compiled by Vince Bonar, Reporter

Thriftanifta: T.J. Maxx ection Black Scarf Coll

18 $26.60

carf: $26.60

Steve Madden S

$13.99 Isotoner Gloves: s: Relativity Sock

$5.59

Compiled by Kayla Murphy, Reporter

Caleb Depree, Graphics

` Caleb Depree is a senior from Greater Latrobe who attends the Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center. He has been in Graphics since his first year at EWCTC as a sophomore. He fairly enjoys his half days spent in Mr. Polinsky’s Graphic Communications class. Depree took this course because of the freedoms he has in his creativity and he also likes being able to make his own designs. He also stated “Graphics is a much more broader topic than everyone thinks. It has it’s ups and it’s downs but for the most part I really do enjoy it. Sometimes you get very tedious tasks but other times you get the freedom of being creative with your projects.” Graphics is an extremely friendly environment and Caleb strongly suggests the course. Compiled by Frankie Piper, Reporter

StudentSpotlight:

Emily Echard

Emily Echard, as you may see on the broadcasting team for the daily announcements, is successful in ballet, cheer, and academics. When being a child at a young age, Emily often looked up to her older sister, Elyse. Emily would always go to Elyse’s ballet practices and watch.Emily tried ballet too, and to this day Emily is still involved. “Ballet helped enforce discipline, so at such a young age I was well mannered,” Emily said. As a sophomore Emily was featured in the “Nutcracker” as a dancing role as “Clara”. As a junior, Emily dance a principle role of “The Sugar Plum”. In Emily’s ninth grade year, she joined the cheer squad. Emily got into cheer because she had no Latrobe spirit wear and she really liked the bows, uniforms, and megaphones. After she got into cheer, she enjoyed being on the squad and worked her way up to being the co captain of the squad. “My advice to the to the sophomores and juniors of the squad is to keep this coach,” said Echard. Even though Emily is very successful in ballet and cheer, she is also successful in school. Being an National Honor Society Student, she has been elected to be the secretary of the National Honors Society. Emily has also been elected for class treasurer for her sophomore, junior and senior year. After graduating, Emily is planning on attending Duquesne for college. “My goal by the end of my senior year is to decide on what major I want to take in college. I have a couple in mind, and I’m not quite sure yet,” said Emily.

Kayla Murphy, Reporter

Features • 10

Netflix: Devil’s Pass

Sarah Weise, Reporter Netflix, rather notorious for its extensive collection of B rated movies, has struck gold with underground UK hit, Devil’s Pass. Social media has been crawling with remarks about the eerie horror flick and its depiction of the infamous “Dyatlov Pass Incident,” a modern day mystery that no one quite understands. The “Dyatlov Pass Incident” was a tragedy that occurred in the late 1950s that has harbored attention from conspiracy theorists for decades. All of the following information about the event itself is factual. This event truly occurred. If you find yourself plagued by doubts, you can find the official, government sanctioned reports with minimal amount of internet research. In the winter of 1959, nine college students went on a hiking trip in Russia’s Ural Mountains only to be found dead two months later. Nothing about the hikers’ fates would have been seen as unusual if it wasn’t for the startling discoveries investigators made. The first of many troubling details is that their tent was cut open from the inside and all of their gear, including shoes, was left inside. Basically, in what seemed to be intense panic, the hikers cut themselves free of the tent and fled into the night’s subzero temperatures in nothing but socks and underlayers. What could possibly have scared nine experienced hikers into recklessly abandoning their survival gear? To make things even weirder, locals reported seeing strange orange globes in the sky the night of the incident. Finally, to really seal the deal, a third of the hikers died of mysterious causes. Three of the bodies upon examination revealed internal injuries so severe they couldn’t logically be explained by experts, and there were signs of their clothes being exposed to radiation. Strangely enough, there are no sources of radiation in the area. The most disturbing of the post-mortem reports was that one of the bodies was missing a tongue and eyes...yes, a tongue and eyes. The Russian government soon blocked off the area of the incident and brushed all details under the rug in hopes of keeping it quiet. The final Soviet report was that the hikers had died from an “unknown elemental force.” Yep, sounds legit. People aware of the incident began to speculate about aliens, yetis, the abominable snowman, local legends, and Russian nuclear testing accidents to name just a few theories. Writer and journalist Yuri Yarovoi even wrote a book about the incident that was denied publication multiple times due to censorship problems. Shorty after an abridged version of his book came out, he died suddenly in a car crash, all of his research was lost. Devil’s Pass puts an interesting twist on an old story though. The movie follows a group of new hikers recreating the original trip with hopes to get a better understanding of what may have happened in 1959, and trust me, they uncover a lot of information. Devil’s Pass is definitely worthy of the hype, and even if the movie isn’t for you, everyone loves a good conspiracy theory to keep them up on restless nights.

The High Post •11

Greater Latrobe High School

Paw Prints

Features

Olivia Sachetti

Andrew Clemons

Ms. kniff

My Childhood Hero: Mary Poppins

My Childhood Hero: Tom Chong

My Childhood Hero: My Father

My Celebrity Crush: Ryan Gosling

My Celebrity Crush: Shakira

My Celebrity Crush: Harrison Ford

Pick One: a.) Kid Rock b.) Black Flag c.) Gucci Mane d.) Kenny Chesney

My Favorite Quote: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil: For thou art with me” - The 23rd Psalm

My Favorite Quote: “I love cats” Caleb Depree

My Quirkiest Inherited Trait: Obsessive

My Quirkiest Inherited Trait: My Dino-like aspects

#1 Thing on My Bucket List That I Want to Accomplish Before I am Gone: Go to China

Junior

My Quirkiest Inherited Trait: Awkward Sense of Humor

Senior

#1 Thing on My Bucket List That I Want to Accomplish Before I am Gone: Go to Tomorrowland

#1 Thing on My Bucket List That I Want to Accomplish Before I am Gone: Experience every culture

The Super Power I Wish I had: Flying

The Super Power I Wish I had: To Fly

teacher

Movie Night: Stay In or Go to a Theater? Stay in.

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Sochi Winter Walking Dead Games on NBC Mamma Mia! @ Season 5 The Benedum Premiere on Center AMC

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Sochi Winter Games on NBC Stomp @ The Palace Theatre

Billy Joel @ CONSOL Sochi Winter Games on NBC

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President’s Day School Make-Up

Sochi Winter Sochi Winter Games on NBC Games on NBC

The Oscars on NBC

Sochi Winter Games on NBC

Sochi Winter Games on NBC Polar Palooza

26 We Are The In Crowd @ The Altar Bar

Sochi Winter Games on NBC

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to make it right. â&#x20AC;? -Oprah